Broncos OL Matt Peart’s Future Clarifies With New Contract Restructure

After a quiet first week of free agency, the Denver Broncos are starting to make some moves. On Tuesday, the Broncos acquired wide receiver Jaylen Waddle via trade from the Miami Dolphins, followed on Thursday by the signing of veteran safety Tycen Anderson, formerly of the Cincinnati Bengals.

It would be hyperbole to say that the floodgates have finally opened in Denver, although that's kind of how it feels to fans who were puzzled by the team's relative inactivity last week.

The moves continued on Thursday, with news that the Broncos restructured veteran offensive lineman Matt Peart's contract. According to Spotrac, Peart signed a one-year, $2 million restructured deal with $755,000 guaranteed, reducing his pay by $1.5 million.

Add us as a preferred source on Google

The move frees up $1.58 million on the Broncos' salary cap.

OT Matt Peart signed a 1 year, $2M restructured contract with the #Broncos that includes $755,000 guaranteed, representing a $1.5M pay cut.

The deal frees up $1.58M of cap space for Denver.
— Spotrac (@spotrac) March 19, 2026

Peart's Resume

The Broncos originally signed Peart two years ago. After the 2024 season, the Broncos rewarded him with a two-year, $7 million deal. It was that deal that he agreed to restructure.

Peart, 28, is a seventh-year pro. He entered the league in 2020 as a New York Giants third-round pick out of UConn.

As a Bronco, Peart has dressed for 23 games, starting three. Last season, the Broncos lost starting left guard Ben Powers to a biceps injury in Week 5.

Peart was the man initially tapped to take over at left guard. He started Week 6's International Series game against the New York Jets, but suffered a knee injury after only a few snaps, landing him on injured reserve for the season.

The Rise of 'Palcho'

The Broncos had no choice but to throw Alex Palczewski in at left guard and bear down. Fortunately, 'Palcho' did very well as the third option at left guard, starting 10 games until Powers was ready to return.

The Broncos rewarded Palczewski with a two-year, $9.5 million extension last week. The Broncos view him as a key depth cog on the offensive line moving forward.

Meanwhile, Powers enters a contract year and he's getting older. Palczewski could be in line to take over at left guard in 2027, depending on what the Broncos opt to do with Powers.

What makes Palczewski and Peart valuable is their versatility. Both can play tackle, which gives them inside/out viability for the Broncos.

Don't Sleep on Gargiulo

Don't forget about Nick Gargiulo either. The team's 2024 seventh-round pick, he essentially redshirted his rookie year, and it appeared to serve him well by the time he got to training camp last season.

Gargiulo looked very good in camp, appearing to have the Broncos' swing guard slot locked down before he suffered an ACL tear that ended his season. He's only 25 and still has multiple years of team control on his contract, but his outlook will depend entirely on how well his knee recovers.

The Takeaway

The Broncos now have several depth options for the offensive line. Sean Payton has prioritized the offensive line since arriving as head coach back in 2023, and it has paid dividends for the Broncos.

Only one quarterback has been sacked fewer times than Bo Nix has since 2024. Keeping this core group of players together — including the depth guys — is crucial to maintaing the continuity upfront.

Sign up for our free Denver Broncos On SI newsletter, and get breaking Broncos news delivered to your inbox daily!